Operating means for curtains



July 22, 1924. 1,502,586

.1. PlLNY ET AL OPERATING MEANS FOR CURTAINS Filed April 7, 1923 INVENTOR cZFzLzvY A TTORNIEK Patented July 22, 1924.

m'rno s r JOHN PILNY, OF NEW BRIGHTON, AND WILLIAM KUEI-IN, OFELMIHUST, NEW YORK.

OPERATING IIIEANS FOB, CURTAINS.

; Application ,filed April 7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN PLLNY and WILLIAM KUEHN, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of the city of New York, New Brighton, Staten Island, borough of Richmond, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, and of the city of New York, Elmhurst, Long Island, borough of Queens, in the county of Queens and State ofNew York, have invented a new and Improved Operating Means for Curtains, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invenion relates to curtains, portieres and other hangings and has particular reference to means for operating the same.

An object of the inventionis to provide an operating means for curtains and the like which will facilitate the adjustment of a curtain to its opened or closed position.

Another object is the provision of an operating means of, simple and inexpensive construction which, in position in association with a curtain, will be practically invisible so as not to detract from the neat/and attractive appearance ofthe curtain, f

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detail description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the lnventive idea.

In the *draw1ng Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention, partly broken away and shown in section, and illustrating the parts in the position they assume at the beginning of the movement of the curtain toward its opened position;

Figure 2 is a section substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; c

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figures 4; and 5 are detail perspective views of the brackets utilized for supporting the trackway.

Referring more particularly to the accom panying drawing, the numeral 6 indicates generally the frame of a doorway or other opening which is designed tobe closed by the curtain 7 made of any desirable ma terial. I a

The invention is shown as comprising a pair of brackets, generally indicated by the numerals 8 and 9, made of any suitable materia-l, such as sheet metal. which is in the form of an open ended cas- The bracket 8, i

1923. Serial No. 630,555.

ing, is secured to one side of the framefi adjacent the upper end thereof and is propear. Extending across the bottom 10 transversely to the slot 11 is a strip 12 which limits the inward movement of'the end of a trackway 13, which is first inserted into the openend of the bracket 8whenthe trackway is being mounted in position. By thus limiting the inward movement of the end of the trackway the same is prevented from coming in contact with the pulleys 14 which are suspended from the top 15 of the bracket. The bottom 10-is further provided with a cut-out portion 16, directly below the pulleys 14: to provide anopening through which the ends of the operating cords 17 for the curtain 7 extend. After one end of the track- 'way 13 has been inserted into the bracket 8 the opposite end thereof islowered into engagement with the bracket 9 secured to the opposite side of the doorway,the bottom 18 of said bracket being also provided with a slot 19 which is in alignmentwith the slot slot 22 extending the entire length of the trackway and registering with the slots 14;

and 19 in the brackets 8 and 9 when the trackway is in position. The sides of the trackway are bracedby means of a plurality of cross bars 23secured to therupper edges of said sides, i

Mounted for longitudinal movementwith respect to the trackway 13 are a plurality of carriers each of which includes a shaft'24 which is disposed transversely of the track way and which carries the rollers 25 at each endthereof arranged on oppositesides of the slot 22. Certainof the carriers each "supports a hanger '26 having its upper end pivotallymounted on the shaft 24 0fthe associated carrier between the rollers 25 thereon and its lower end provided with an opening 27 for receivinga hook 28 secured to the upper portion of the curtain 7Ibetween the folds 29 thereof so that the hook will be invisible from either side of the curtain. The carrier disposed on the trackway 13 nearest to the free end of the curtain? and to which an intermediate portion of the operating cord 17 at attached, as best shown in Figure 2, supports a hanger. consisting of the upper and lower sections 30 and 31, the latter of which is pivotally connected to the former by a link 32 which permits of a swingingmovement of the section 31, as indicated in Figure 1, when the curtain is being moved to open or closed positions. The lower end of the section 31 is of the same construction as the other hangers 26 and is also attached to the curtain by means I of a hook similar to the hooks 28.

As seen in Figures 1 and 2, the operating cord 17 is passed around the pulleys 14 and 21 and joined to the carrier at the extreme left, the ends of the operating cord depending from the pulleys 1 1 and through the opening 16 in the bracket 8 so that said ends may be readily grasped to move the curtain toopen or closed position. In

Figure 1, the curtain is shown at the beginning of ts movement toward the open posi-. t on during which movement a pull'is exerted upon the carrier shown at the extreme left'in a direction toward the fixed end of the, curtain which is attached to the frame 6by a suitable, fastener 33. By reason of this pull the lower section 31 of the lefthand hanger'will be caused to assume an angular position with respect to the vertical, as. shown in Figure 1, and as the curtam 1S. moved to the rlght the. same will fold, indicated in said figure. The. rela carrier is engagedby the preceding carrier in Figure 1 and upon the carriers supportmg said: section reaching. the. end of the at the left and caused to move along the trackway toward: the fixed end of the curtain. When the opposite end of the cord 17 is pulled the carriers are moved to the left in the. trackway until the carrier supporting the hanger including the sections 30 and 31 reaches the left-hand. end of the trackway. In this movement the section 31 will assume the position opposite to that shown trackway the. section 31 will begmoved to. a

' vertical position: by the, weightof, the. -cur tain, and in so doing will permit of a slight further. movement of the free end of the curtain tothe left Which Willbesufiicient to fully close the opening in the frame 6. In

' the movement of the curtain to its, open position the slot 11 in thebracket 8 will, receive the. extreme. right-hand hanger 26,

thus'permitting the curtain to be opened to its fullest extent. Likewise when the curtain is closed, the slot 19 in the bracket 9 will receive the extreme left-hand'hanger including the sections 30 and 31 so as toof carriers movable in said trackway and insertable thereinto through'said open top, a hanger connected to each carrier and projecting through said slot, a curtain supported by said hangers, "and means connected to one of said carriers for moving said carriers in said trackway to adjust said curtain to open and closing positions.

2. The combination with a frame, a trackway having an open top and a longitudinal slot in the bottom thereof; of a plurality of carriers movable in said" trackway and insertab-l'e thereinto through said open top, a hanger connectedto each c'arrierfand projecting through said slot, a curtain supported by said hangers, pulleys at each end of said trackway, and a flexible element exnding a ound said. pul y and. having an intermediate portion thereof connected to one of said carriers in said trackwayl'to adjust said curtain to open and closing positions.

3. The combination with a frame, a trackway having an open top and a longitudinal slot in the bottom thereof; of a plurality of carriers movable in said trackway and insertable therei-nto through saidopen top, a

hanger connected to each carrier and projecting throughsaid slot, one of said hangers, including. pivotally connected sections, a curtain supported by said hanger, and means connected to the carrier supporting the. last named hanger for moving said hangers in said trackway to adjust the curtain to open and closing positions.

1-. The combination with a frame; of brackets secured to the sides of said. frame and provided with aligned slots, a trackway having its ends mounted in said brackets and provided with. an open top and a longitudinal slot in the bottom registering with the slots in said brackets, a plurality of carriers movable'in said trackway and insert able thereinto through said open top, a hanger connected; to each carrier and projecting through the slot in said trackway,

a curtain supported by said hangers, and

means connected to one of said carriers for moving, said carriers 1n said trackway to ad ust said; curta n to open. and closing positions.

' HN I NY;

WILLIAM' KUEHN. 

